Hey all!

Let me say, all this talk is making me so excited about Italy!!! And its the best thing ever to meet fellow travellers beforehand because I too WAS a bit hesitant to travel solo!

Bre - I cant think of any helpful tips off the top of my head, but if you have any questions, do ask! As for my flight, I am actually spending approx. 8 weeks overseas so at this stage of planning I am travelling from London to Rome on the 31st Aug and plan to leave Aust around the 20th Aug. After our Italy tour I'm going on the Contiki Berlin - Budapest tour, beforehand I'm doing a tour of Ireland and lastly I'm doing a tour of Egypt... I live for my big holidays

And to all - the love between Aussies and Canadians is mutual!

Jennybean - The 36 day tour was the best time of my life.. so much of the world to see and so much fun doing it! Of all the places I went Rome was #1 on my list to see again. I just had a love of the city before I even went, and I love the history of the place and needed to see more.. so I had to come back. I chose this tour because it incorporated my need to see more of Rome and Pompeii and also this time to see more of other parts of Italy (even though Florence and Venice will be repeats too... but I love Italy!). As far as seeing the "real" David, I dont know much about that other than when I was there last time it wasnt an option! In the optional Florence tour they do show you where the original David stood and theres a replica there.. but not the real deal!

As for the optional extras.. most are a must. And no matter what ones you decide you wont do beforehand you'll probably do them all in the end!! With the tour I went on just about everyone did every extra and each extra is there to capture something unique about the place so its hard to pass up! What I can say about our extras are- The tour of Pompeii is an absaloute must! The dinners are awesome because they make sure you sample the local cuisine (yum)! Of course you must do the Gondola ride in Venice. The guided tour in Rome is very insightful, it turns walking around some ruins into something far more meaningful (it didnt include entry into the colosseum when I went but either way the colosseum is a must). If you do the extras, that and what contiki show you by bus as you drive around the city, you get a very good feel of the city and time to see the main sights.

I think I'll finish up here cause I sorta feel like I'm sounding like a promo person for contiki now..! but you guys can be sure we're gonna have an awesome time cant wait!!!

sheree

Ps. do any of you guys have facebook or anything...??

This message has been edited. Last edited by: shez82,

Hey Shez,

Wow ... that all sounds awesome. You are such a wealth of knowledge. You can bet that if I have an specific questions I will let you know. And I am totally with you, having this site and talking to you all keeps increasing that excitment level. And it making the whole travelling solo things seems a little less nerve racking.

I can't believe you will be travelling for 8 weeks. I thought a 4 week trip was long. But the tours that you have chosen sound like so much fun - what an experience!!!!!

As for facebook or anything .. I sure do. I have facebook and msn - scalhoun69@hotmail.com ladies feel free to add me.

I am so looking forward to this trip ... 77 days and 16 hours until my plane takes off.

Hi girls,

Im Amy from Australia and can I say Wow! You girls have certainly been planning lots, it's so exciting! Im so glad to see that someone has started this forum ... such a good idea! Can I join your forum???? Wow, i feel like im grade one again asking to sit next to someone, hahaha!

I am also going on the simply italy tour from the 31/8 to 11/9! I am so glad that you have all been in contact and started talking and dreaming and planning things for the trip, Im also up for anything!

Im one of those 21 year olds that Shawna was talking about! This is my first big trip away and Im getting so excited! I leave for Vancouver in a week for a 3 week holiday and then Im off to europe before I have to start studying at uni at the end of september! Jenny, Im studying HR at uni in aus, that's so crazy!

Im flying into Rome on the 30th from Valencia (Im coming from La Tomatina Festival). My travel agent has booked me some accomodation for the 11th but Im not sure how Im getting there either - oh well I suppose that's the fun of it right??? Im also staying an extra night in Rome after the tour. Where is everyone staying in Rome before an after the tour? It would be great if we were close!

Anyway, I hope you're all getting really excited, I know I am!

Hopefully chat soon,
Amy

hey amy! welcome to the tour!!!

whereabouts in australia are you from?? i plan to stay in Rome for 2 nights after the tour but havent booked anything yet... i was going to look into the hotel we're staying at on the contiki tour thinking thats where everyone else is probably staying. have you guys actually booked somewhere for those days yet...?? it would be awesome if we were near each other...

Thanks! Im from Perth, Western Australia!

I haven't booked anything either, I was kind of hoping for the same thing! I think if I read correctly, we're staying at Roma Park on the last night. I looked this place up last night for accommodation vacancies and they had nothing free on the 11th! But Im sure we'll find somewhere and if there's a group of us wanting to stay somewhere, it may be easier! My travel agent was looking into something for me near the train station for that night, but its roughly $220 for a single per night, a little above my budget!

If you or anyone has any ideas on where to stay or what to do, that would awesome!

eeek! Im so excited, not long now...hope everyone is getting excited!

hey.. im from brisbane so we have a bunch of canadian and aussie girls so far!

where did you read that Roma Park is the place we're staying on the last night? i think if theres a few of us itd be great to get together and book something.. sure better than sharing with people we never met before! i'll be looking into accomm over the next few weeks cause im still finalizing flights at the mo. id probably look for some place perhaps close to where we spend our final night and close to trains or something so getting to airports etc is easy.. so keep me posted on what you come up with!

im definitely beginning to get excited.. but i still have so much planning to do im distracted! i have 2 months til i take off overseas... yay

Hey ladies... (and welcome Amy)

This is so much fun... it's getting me really excited... about 70 more days You ladies are busy though, I don't check this thing for a couple of days and there are about 5 new posts.
I would be very interesting in booking into a hotel with you ladies... count me in!! I am flying out on the Saturday so I will need a place to stay for 2 nights after the tour. Something central and close to the train station would be preferable. Shez- let me know if you find anything and I will definately be "in" for sharing!!
Cheers,
-B-

Hi Shawna,
I'm a solo traveller and am going on this tour!
This is my first o/s trip. I've always wanted to go to Italy so I'm very excited!
I'm 28 too and am from Australia.

Hey All,

Sorry I have been absent for so long, things have gotten quite hectic around here. I wanted to welcome our 2 new comers ... glad to see our group is growing I am so excited, 2 months + 1 week!!!!!!! It would be really cool if we could all stay close to each other after the tour. I know I am already booked somewhere and I think its Hotel Giglio (but I will have to double check that for you). I am actually planning on heading to my travel agent this week to double check all my details - so I will update y'all once I have done that.

Now I really must admit something ... I am starting to freak out and feel like there isn't enough time to get everything ready. Ha ha ha ... I know .. there are still 67 days -should be tons of time. But the last 2.5 months have just raced by and I can only imagine what the next 2 months are going to be like. Anyone else starting to get nervous?

Shawna

Hey Shawna, and all the other gals! I guess I should introduce myself: my name's Julie and I'm from Melbourne Australia. I can't wait to meet you all!
2 months from now I'll be in Positano soaking up some sun before starting the tour, how exciting!
See you all soon

Hi Everyone,

I'm booked in on this trip too. My name is Anne-Marie and i'm from Sydney Aust. Can't wait to meet everyone

oh look out girls... aussies are starting to out number the canadians! haha.

welcome julie and anne-marie... great so many of us are getting to know each other beforehand! so tell us more about yourselves... what do you guys do...? and julie, whereabouts is Positano... it sounds italian maybe...??

i still have not got to the point of organizing my accom. yet.. sorta need to get to that seeing as ive got less than 7 wks before im overseas.. but hey! shawna, i can say i get my moments of freaking out too! but at the same time im too excited.. but thats how id define adventure i guess hey! i still have so much to do so i dont get much time to think! i havent even told work im going away for 8 weeks yet.. hehe

Hi

I'm 23 and I'm an accountant(boring i know!! -but don;t hold it against me! )

I'm going around europe for 6 weeks, i start in london on the 16th Aug so i don't have long to go.

im starting in london on aug 19! im doing three other tours while overseas tho... what are your plans? if we're in london at the same time we could even catch up before the tour i fly out to rome on the 31 aug and spending 21st-23rd in london mostly (rest of the time in ireland). is this your first time overseas..?

Hi, I leave london for Paris on the 20th August, it would be nice to catch up for coffee or something if you have time! I arive in Rome on the 31st and am spending the time in between in paris and parts of italy. Are you travelling by yourself? I'm flying to europe with a friend but then we are doing our own thing for the first half and doing the second half together.